PMQs — Starmer Defends Record as Leadership Question Hangs Over Chamber
Sir Keir Starmer faced Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister’s Questions this afternoon — the first parliamentary set-piece since the Spring Bank Holiday and the most operationally consequential PMQs of the leadership-question news cycle to date. Last week’s PMQs saw Badenoch land repeated blows on the Prime Minister, with the Tory leader pivoting to: “He’s got a Cabinet fighting to replace him, and the worst part is they are not getting rid of him over his terrible agenda. No, they actually like it. They just want a better salesman.” This week’s session continues the same dynamic with 22 days to the Makerfield by-election.
More than 150 Labour MPs have indicated public support for the Prime Minister, or said it was not the right time for a leadership contest. The Prime Minister has insisted he will not step down from No 10 even if Burnham wins the 18 June by-election and triggers a leadership contest. Sir Keir broke this week with his aloof communications style by walking across Downing Street to chat directly to the press, and joked publicly about his tongue slip in the Commons about a “North Korea trade deal” (he meant South Korea). New figures show the economy growing above expectations, inflation has slowed to 2.8% — the lowest level in over a year — and the Bank of England is widely expected to keep interest rates on a downward path. The 18 June by-election is the operational test of whether Labour’s migration tightening and Burnham’s personal pull are enough to check Reform’s advance into traditional Labour territory.